Lex Hortensia

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development of Roman law

…after the passage of the Lex Hortensia in 287 bce, however, did plebiscita become binding on all classes of citizens; thereafter, plebiscita were generally termed leges along with other enactments. In general, legislation was a source of law only during the republic. When Augustus Caesar established the empire in 31…

issuance by Quintus Hortensius

He passed a law (the Lex Hortensia) whereby the resolutions of the plebeians (plebiscites) were made binding on all the citizens without requiring the approval of the Senate and so were equivalent to measures passed by the other assemblies. He is said to have died while still dictator.

significance to plebians

He instituted a law (Lex Hortensia) making plebiscita (measures passed in the plebeian assembly) binding not only on plebeians but also on the rest of the community. In the later republic and under the empire (after 27 bc), the name plebeian continued to be used in the sense of…